Folding chair



J. J. SCHMITT 1,800,107

FOYDTNG CHAIR April 7, 1931.

Filed Feb. PE 1929 W 'i [rf-2.1m;

Patented Apr. 7, 1931 UNITED STATES- JOSEPH J'. SCHMITT, 0F ALGOIA,WISCONSIN romaine cnam' 'Anuman mea mmm as, ma. seran n. uam.

This invention relates to folding chairs 'and has for its object toprovide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, an article of such classsoconstructed and arranged whereb the elements thereof willV be nestedtol t er in a compact form when the chair is olded.

' A further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner, ashereinafter set forth, a

chair of the class referred to includin a pivoted seat and pivoted rearlegs capab e when folded to be positioned res ctively, within the backand between the ont legs of the chair when the latter is folded.

A further obj ect-of the invention is to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a

foldable chair including a seat carried by a pair of sliding pivotsacting as means to couple the seat with the front le of the chair andfurther sliding in such egs when the ,20 chair is extended and contracteA further object of the invention is to rovide, in a manner ashereinafter set fort, a foldin chair includin a pair of front anda pairo rear legs pivot ly connected together, and a brace for the rear legsconstituting a spacing means between the front and rear legs andsupporting means or bearings for the pivots between said legs.

vide, in a Amanner as hereinafter set forth, a new and im roved bracingelement for the rear legs of e chair.

A further object of the invention is to rovide', in a manner ashereinafter set fort a chair of the class referred `to having a pair ofslidable pivots between the seat and front legs and a means for bracingand connecting the front legs to ther with such means act- -`ing as asupport or theseat when the chairis 40v extended. Y

Afurther object of the invention is to rovide, in a manner ashereinafter set fort a folding chair including a back member having endextensions for coupling tothe side elements of the chair and with eachof said elements forming a side rail of the chair back and a frontrailof the chair.

Further objects of the invention are to i rovide, in a manner ashereinafter set fort ,fa foldable chair which is simple in itsconstrue'- c when folded.

A further object of the invention isto protion and arrangement, strong,durable, compact, readily extended and contracted, capable of beingfolded in an unusually compact manner, readily assembled andcomparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists ofthe'novel construction, combination and arran ent of parts ashereinafter more speci cally described, and illustratedin theaccompanying drawings wherein is shown an embodiment ofthe invention,but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modificationsvcan be resorted to which fall within the scope of the claims hereuntoappended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote correspondingparts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a folding chair in accordancewith this inven- 0 tion and with the chair extended, and further 7illustrating in dotted lines the chair partly folded.-

Figure 2' is a rear elevation of the chair Figuresisfm m"rc1" a en v1ew,a 1n section of the ehaiig-nwhenrgxtended). y Figure 4 is a section online 4 4 Figure 3. Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5 Figure 3. Figure 6is a detail on line 6--6 Figure 2. The chair includes a pair ofoppositely dis posed channel sha d elements of appropri ate length andwhich are referred to generally at 8 and 9. Each of said elementsconstitutes a front leg 4 and aside rail of the back of the chair. Thatportion of'each of said elements which constitutes a front leg for thechair is indicated at 10 and the portion which provides a side rail ofthe back of the chair is indicated at 11. The channel formed by eachelement 8, 9 is indicated at 1 2 and is co-'extensive with such element.

The chair further includes apair of rear 'legs 13, M 'and each of which.is formed on its inner face with a channel 15 extendin 95 from a point.removed from the up r end o the le to thelowerend thereof. e upper endc each rear leg is fiat as indicated at 17.

v The lower end of each of the legs of the chair is provided with'a footpiece 18 of a 100 length slight-ly greater than the width of the leg andwhich closes the lower ends of the channels formed in the legs.

The legs 13, 14 are arranged between the legs 10. Each rear leg ismounted on a pivot 19 positioned at a point above but in proximity tothe transverse median of the rear legs. The pivots 19 extend through thefront legs 10 and rear legs 13, 14 and their ends are upset. Welded orotherwise secured to the front of the rear legsis a brace member 2Ohaving angularly disposed ends 21 which are interposed between the rearlegs and front legs and through which extend the pivots 19. The ends 21constitute spacing means between the rear and front legs` The bracingmember 20 is rectangular incross section. A channel shaped brace member22 having right angularly disposed end flanges 23 is positioned betweenthe rear legs 13, 14 near the lower ends thereof.

Holdfast devices 24 extend through the flanges 23 for fixedly securingthe brace member 22 to the rear legs.` The lower ends of the front legsare connected together by a brace member 25 having angle shapedends 26which abut against the legs l0 andare Vfixedly secured therewith byholdfast devices 27 extending through the ends 26. 'The elements 8, 9 atthe point of` mergence of the front legs 10 with the side rails 11 haveinterposed therebetween a combined seat support and brace memberreferred to generally at 28 and which is formed of an intermediate part29 and a pair of end parts 30. l The end parts are oppositelydisposedand curve downwardly with respect tothe intermediate part v29.Each end part 30 terminates in a right angularly disposed flange 31 forpositioning against and extending across the channel formed in themember 8 or 9. Positioned in the channels of the elements 8, 9 andopposing the flanges 31 are liller blocks 32 provided with openings 33which register with openings 34, 35 formed in the flanges 31 andelements 8, 9.

Holdfast devices 36 extend. through said registering openings forfixedly securing the member 28 between and to the elements 8, 9. Theflanges 31 are forwardly directed with respect to the intermediateportion 29 and the latter is positioned rearwardly with respect to theelements 8, 9. See Figure 3.v The intermediate portionl 29 of thememberI 28 provides a support for the seat which will be presentlyreferred to.

The chair further includes a seat comprising aframe 37 having its bodyof angleshaped cross section to provide a vertical and a horizontalportion 38, 39 respectively. The horizontal portion extends inwardlyfrom the lowerend of the vertical portion. The frame is formed'of arear, a front and a pair of sides integral with each other.

Secured upon the horizontal'portion 39 is a bottom member 40 of an areato be spaced from the sides of the frame 37 a sufficient distance toprovide a small clearance for a purpose to be presently referred to. Theclearance is indicated at 41. Mounted on the bottom member 40 is acushion 42 having its covering 43 extended to enclose the member 40 atthe edges of the latter.

The sides of the frame 37 at a point between the vertical median andrear end of each side is formed' with an opening 44 for the passage of apivot 45, the latter having its inner end upset to provide a head 46which is positioned in the clearance 41 and opposes the inner face of aside of the frame 37. The outer end of the pivot 45 is fixed to a block47 which is slidably mounted in the channel 12.

VThe blocks 47 provide for slidably connecting the seat to the siderails of the back of the chair and the headed pivots 45 provide means toenable the seat pivoting relative t0- the blocks 47 when tbe chair isextended or contracted. The head 46'of the pivot 45 provides forcoupling the'scat to the blocks 47.

member 48 is of arcuate form and projects rearwardly with respect to theupperends of the rails 11. The member 48 is provided at its top andbottom edges with rearwardly extending flanges or beads 49. The member48 at each end is formed with a pair of rearwardly disposed extensions50 each bent upon itself. The extensions 50 are positioned in thechannels l2 and fixedly secured to the rails 11 by the holdfast devices51. The forward face of the member 48 is a substantial continuation ofthel rear face of the front flange 52of the elements 8, 9. The member 48projects from said flanges 52 and the extensions 50 snugly engage thewalls ofthe channels of the rails 1l.

The elements of the chair, other than the bottom member 40, cushion 42and covering 43 are constructed of metallic material of the desiredweight.

The .flat upper endsf17A of rear legs 13, 14 oppose the outer faces ofthe sides o'f the frame 37 and are pivotally connected thereto, as at52, in proximity to the front of frame 38.

The blocks 47 project a substantial distance inwardly from the elements8, 9, see Figures 4 and 5, and act as spacing means between the rearportion of the seat and elements 8, 9. This prevents any possibility ofthe seat at its rear being shifted toward either-one of the elements 8,9.

It is thought the many advantages of a folding chair, in accordance withthis invention can be readil understood, and although the preferred emodiment of the invention is as illustrated and described, yet it is tobe understood that changes in the details of construction can be hadwhich fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

l. A foldingchair comprising front legs, rear'legs, channel-shaped siderails forming upper continuations of the front legs, piv otalconnections between the front and rear legs intermediate their ends, aback member secured to said side rails, a seat pivoted near its front tothe top of the rear legs, blocks slidably mounted in the channels of andprojecting inwardly from said rails, and pivotal connections betweensaid blocks and said seat in proximity to the rear of the latter, saidpivotal connections fixed to said blocks, extending into said seat andprovided with heads for coupling the seat to the blocks.

2. In a folding chair, front and rear legs, pivot means frsaid legsintermediate the ends thereof, and a brace connecting the rear legstogether and provided with angularly disposed end portions, said endportions pro-4 viding means for spacing the rear legs from the frontlegs and bearings for the pivot means between the front andrear legs.

3. A folding chair comprising a pair of front legs, a pair of rear legsarranged between said front legs and an independent pivot connectionbetween each front and corresponding rear leg, a brace connecting therear legs and provided with angularly disposed portions providingspacing means between the front andirear legs, said means having saidindependent pivot connections extending therethrough.

4. In a folding chair the combination of an upstanding seat back havingchannel-shaped side rails, a seat for folding between said rails andincluding a seat member and a frame surrounding said member, said frameincluding a pair ofsides, a front and a rear,` said seat member spacedfrom said sides toq provide clearances, said sides in proximity to therear ends thereof provided with openings, blocks slidably mounted in thechannels of said rails, and headed pivots extending ing said seat and ofa length greater than the width of the chair seat, said combined supportand brace further including a pair of down-curved end portions, eachterminating in a forwardly directed flange for positioning against andfor securing to the inner sides wof said front legs, and saidintermediate portion spacing said blocks from the point of connectionbetween the combined seat support and brace and said front legs.

6. In a folding chair, the combination with a pair of front and a pairof rear legs, said front legs extending above the rear legs, means forpivotally connecting the front legs tothe rear legs below the upper endsof the latter, said front legs being of channel shaped cross section, achair seat pivotally connected to the top of the rear legs andslidabljy1 con nected to the front legs within the channels of thelatter above the pivotal connections between said legs, a combinedsupport for the seat and brace for the front legs including anintermediate portion for supporting the seat and a pair of down curvedend por tions each terminating in a forwardly directed flange securedagainst the inner side of a front leg, and filler bloclcs positioned inthe channels of the front legs and secured to said seat.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature hereto. v

JOSEPH J. SCHMITT.

through said openings, fixed at their outer ends to said blocks andhaving the heads posi- `tioned in said clearances and opposing the innerfaces of said sides whereby the seat'is coupled with the blocks.

5. In a folding chair, a seat, a pair of front legs, side rails formingcontinuations of said legs and of channelled contour, rear legs, pivotconnections between therear legs and said seat, blocks slidabl7 mountedin the channels of said rails, pivotal connections between said seat andsaid blocks, a combined seat support and bracefor saidcfront legs andincluding yan intermediate portion for support-

